Pragmatic? Perry?

So, how does one travel, in the relative blink of the eye, from “initiator” to usher at an event?

The topic is the day of prayer and fasting that Gov. Rick Perry has with much fanfare proclaimed on Aug. 6 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. According to an Express-News story by Joe Holley on Wednesday, Perry is listed on the event’s website as the “initiator of The Response.”

However, this is what he said about his role: “I’m going to be there; I may be ushering for all I know.”

Huh? I’d say this comes as a consequence of his nascent presidential run — the event has been criticized as an unwarranted mixing of church and state — but am reliably told that Perry doesn’t follow the conventional political model. Namely, that he ever moderates his stance. He hasn’t had to in Texas.

Right. But a presidential race is a national race. And others have written of the cast of evangelical characters involved in this event. Rachel Maddow has been particularly effective here.

Look, I don’t doubt Perry’s faith. I’ll leave for others the question of whether the governor is mixing church and state with this event. One group has sued around this issue. A federal judge today ruled they had no standing to sue. Even if they did, the judge indicated that attendance at the event was voluntary and harming no one.

And the governor, I think, should have a right to trumpet his faith as much as he wants. But I sure don’t get the politics of this, even if primary elections are about energizing a particular base. That’s because there is always a day after. In this “Response” crowd there is much talk of end of days, a lot of gay bashing and even stuff about sex with demons. There is stuff folks might classify as hate speech. Stuff, in fact, that might end up as sound bites in national ads by political opponents in a national campaign.

It appears more likely with each day that Perry will run, though this is not yet a sure bet. So, in his demurring on his role at this event, are we getting our first glimpse of a Perry who knows he can’t win if he’s the Perry everyone in Texas knows?

Perry hasn’t had to tack to the middle to win in Texas. But the United States isn’t Texas. There will be much to haunt Perry in the event he does make that national run; everything from that secession remark to the possibility the state executed an innocent man on his watch. So, why add this event?

He’s in too deep with this prayer event to withdraw. If his role Aug. 6 really is not much, it likely won’t be humility that dictates it. It might be grudging moderation. Huh. Did I just use that word in a blog about Perry?

This will be a campaign likely won by someone who can appeal to enough crossover votes and independents. This kind of stuff won’t get Perry there.